


Bloom

by particularparadox



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Aubrey is a lesbian, Basil is a disaster gay, Canon Compliant, Cotton Candy, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hero is the token straight, Internalized Homophobia, Kel is aromantic, Kim is non-binary (they/she), M/M, Medication, Mental Health Issues, Minor Original Character(s), Omori is gone, Panic Attacks, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Sunflower, Sunny and Basil get therapy, Sunny is bisexual, Sunny keeps his eye because I want him to, Time Skip (Two Years)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:01:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29666280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/particularparadox/pseuds/particularparadox
Summary: Sunny moves after his confession goes south and decides to never go back. Two years later, his therapist recommends he visit for the summer as a part of his recovery. Needless to say, the trip doesn't go exactly as planned.Things can change a lot in two years. A lot more than you would expect.Problems arise. Secrets are revealed. Trauma is faced. Sunny fights demons he didn't even know he had left to fight.All he wanted was to forget his pain. He wasn't expecting any of this.
Relationships: Aubrey & Basil & Hero & Kel & Sunny (OMORI), Aubrey & Kim (OMORI), Aubrey/Kim (OMORI), Basil & Sunny (OMORI), Basil/Sunny (OMORI), Hero & Kel (OMORI)
Comments: 30
Kudos: 172





	1. A Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunny and Basil confess. It doesn't go very well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Couple disclaimers before we start:
> 
> 1\. This is my first fic and my most ambitious writing project ever, so please be patient with me. Critique is welcome and appreciated.
> 
> 2\. Updates will probably be a mess because of school but I'm not going to abandon this story if I can help it. I'm aiming for at least two chapters a month but I make no promises.
> 
> 3\. I already have an outline and plot planned out but if there's any particular character or scene you want me to include, please let me know! I'm willing to add stuff in if enough people request.
> 
> Special thanks to my absolutely wonderful friend @/basilbyers for being my beta reader and the only person I can talk to about Omori. Love you lots :)

“I have to tell you something.”

The words were out of Sunny’s mouth before he could stop them. His voice was hoarse and raspy, and his tongue felt alien in his mouth. How long had it been since he'd last spoke to somebody? His mind was screaming at him to be quiet, to keep pretending everything was fine. Trying to quiet the voices, he continued. It was now or never.

“I...I killed Mari.”

The others stared at him with blank expressions except Basil, who had gone white as his bedsheets. He looked like he was going to faint.

“Sunny, it wasn’t your fault,” Hero said, confusion and pity in his soft voice. “She...she had her reasons. None of us are to blame.”

Sunny wiped his one good eye, which was slowly filling with tears. “You don’t understand,” he quivered, his voice shaking. “It’s my fault. I k-killed her.”

Hero and Kel seemed even more confused. Aubrey’s expression was unreadable. Basil’s lip trembled. “Listen, Sunny-” Kel started to say.

“It...it’s all my fault,” Sunny cut him off. “Mari and I...we had a fight. She kept pushing and pushing and making me practice and I got upset and th-threw my violin down the stairs when s-she wasn’t looking. She got angry and...I pushed her.” He took a shuddering breath. “I pushed her and she fell down the stairs. She broke something. She...she wasn’t moving. I think she fell on my v-violin,” he sniffed, trying to wipe away the tears. “And her knee...she couldn’t get up…”

A tear rolled down Basil’s bruised cheek. “It was my idea,” he choked out. “It was m-my idea to hang her. I th-thought that if we made it look like s-suicide he wouldn’t get in trouble.” He avoided Sunny’s eye. “It’s m-my fault too. I w-wanted to protect him...” he shut his mouth tightly as he started to shake with his sobs.

Sunny hung his head, not wanting to face his friends. “It’s why I stopped going t-to school. I couldn’t face you all. And I c-couldn’t accept her death. I’m s-sorry...” he trailed off, crying too hard to continue.

Silence fell, only punctuated by the noises of Sunny and Basil’s anguish.

Hero finally broke the silence, his voice calm.

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

“We w-were scared,” Basil said shakily, trying to compose himself. “I...I didn’t want Sunny to get h-hurt. I...” He hesitated. “He was my b-best friend.”

“My parents knew,” Sunny tried to steady his breathing as well. “It’s why my f-father left. And why my mother won’t…won’t speak to me.”

The room fell silent again.  


Sunny sniffed. “You...you don’t have to forgive me. But don’t blame Basil. He...It wasn’t his fault.”

“I disagree.”

Sunny jerked his head up toward the sound. It was Aubrey, her expression hidden by her thick bangs. Her voice dripped contempt and anger.

“She might have been alive before Basil hung her. Ever think about that? You could have just called an ambulance. What kind of insane child thinks staging a suicide is the best option in a case like this?” She pointedly looked at Basil, who turned the other way, avoiding her gaze. Hero and Kel said nothing, seemingly too scared to challenge her.

She faced Sunny, absolute fury emanating from her eyes. He was glad the hospital staff had confiscated her bat.

“And you. Stop acting like you’re the victim here. You started a fight above a flight of fucking stairs. You didn’t even think about calling the police. You could have saved her right when she fell. She might still be alive if it wasn’t for you.”

“Aubrey, stop it. Don’t...don’t make it worse,” Kel’s voice broke for the first time since Sunny had known him. Kel never cried. “They were just kids...and look at them. They probably feel horrible.”

“They should feel bad. They fucking killed Mari.” Aubrey wiped her eyes with her fist, her voice trembling with rage.

“They killed her and didn’t even have the balls to tell us until it was too late. You thought you’d be safe if you told us right before you moved away, right? You thought we’d all hug it out and cry a bit and forgive and forget, maybe have a little picnic for old time’s sake, right?” She sneered. “We’re not twelve anymore, Sunny. Face the music.”

Sunny stood rooted to the spot. He hung his head, not even daring to cry. She was right. He was moving as soon as he got out of the hospital. It really was too late to save their friendship.

“I don’t forgive either of you, and I probably never will. Go to hell.”

She stormed toward the door, colliding with Sunny’s shoulder so hard he nearly fell. Kel caught him. His hands were shaking.

She paused. “Oh, and Sunny, if you ever show your face in Faraway again, I’ll make sure you feel all the pain Mari did when you pushed her down the stairs.” She yanked the door open and slammed it behind her.

Silence fell, but it was a different kind of silence now. It was a suffocating silence, one that hung over the room like a dense fog. It was filled with years worth of fear and grief, finally being exposed.

“I don’t think she meant any of that.”

Hero spoke again, his voice surprisingly steady. “She’s just grieving. She’ll...she’ll come around.” He didn’t exactly sound convinced.

“She’s right.” Sunny said, defeated. “I am a coward. I had so much time to tell you, but I was too busy avoiding the pain.” He looked up, facing the three boys. “I could have gotten help. I could have visited a doctor and gotten treated for my...issues. I could have gone to therapy. But I didn’t. I just shut myself into my own little world and pretended everything was alright.”

“It’s ok, Sunny. I could have said something, too.” Basil’s voice was calmer now. “I guess I was scared. I was scared of...a lot of things.”

He broke off, his voice shuddering a bit. He wiped his eyes. “I’m sorry, Sunny. I’m sorry things ended up this way.”

Hero sighed. “For whatever it’s worth...I understand. I don’t know if I forgive you just yet, but I understand.”

Sunny laughed a dry sort of laugh. He seemed out of practice. “Why? You heard Aubrey. We’re horrible people. I deserve to go to hell.”

“I don’t agree with that. You were just kids. Accidents happen. And staging the suicide...you were probably in a lot of shock. And terrified,” he conceded. “While it’s no excuse, I understand why.”

Kel nodded his agreement. “I agree. I wish you’d said something sooner, though. You’re leaving and there’s really no time to fix things with Aubrey.”

Sunny hung his head. It really was too late. Aubrey would probably never speak to him or Basil again. Hero and Kel probably saw them both differently regardless of what they might say. And Basil...

Poor Basil.

Sunny hadn’t even thought about how Basil was affected until last night. He was too wrapped up in his own mind, trying to forget the pain and getting lost in his dreams until they consumed him. It didn’t even occur to him that Basil was going through a similar pain.

He glanced up and saw Basil’s hunched figure sitting in the bed. They had been inseparable for years, but he’d forgotten. He’d hid away Basil as much as he had his grief.

He supposed they were one and the same. Basil was a representation of the loss, the suffering, the heartache. To forget his pain, he had to lose Basil.

Sunny wiped his eye and walked over to the bed. He sat down and grabbed Basil’s thin body tightly. Basil’s arms wrapped around him, his tears dripping onto his hospital gown.

The hug was an unspoken forgiveness. It was years of sadness and guilt and trying to make it better. It was hope for the future. A hope for new memories to be made.

It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next few days were a blur of white coats and fussing.

Nurses came in and out to treat his wounds. Apparently the gardening shears had only grazed his eye. He’d have to wear an eyepatch for a while and would probably never have full vision again, but it would heal.

Sunny didn’t care. To hell with his eye.

Nobody visited him, which he was thankful for. He silently hoped that the hospital hadn’t given Aubrey her bat back.

He’d been alone forever, but for the first time in years he didn’t have a crutch to fill the loneliness. Omori was gone. There was no need for his dreamscape now that it wasn’t hiding anything from himself.

He thought a lot in the silence he was given. He thought about Mari, about Omori, about Basil. He thought about what it would take to make things right again.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Five days after the confession, Sunny stepped out of the hospital and entered his mother’s car. Like usual, they didn’t speak.

After a few hours of driving, they reached their new place. As she was pulling into a parking spot, Sunny spoke to her for the first time in a long time

“I want a therapist.”

She looked at him, a bit shocked and a bit proud. Maybe this meant he’d leave his room for a change.

“I’ll see what I can do,” she said, smiling warmly.

Sunny smiled back, slightly strained from lack of practice. Life wasn’t going to magically put itself back together, but he was finally willing to try and pick up the pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that was a LOT of dialogue and angst. The next few chapters will hopefully be slightly lighter but I had to get this stuff out of the way since it pretty much sets up the entire rest of the story.
> 
> Hope you liked it and let me know of any thoughts/criticism/ideas that you may have down below :)


	2. A Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunny's visit to Faraway doesn't exactly start off as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> I just wanted to give a big thank you for all the support I've received on this! I can't believe we've hit 100 kudos in less than a week!! Your support and kind comments were a huge motivation to write the second chapter and I'm planning on going even faster than I had originally planned. This chapter is twice as long in celebration of the first one doing so well :)
> 
> Warning: this chapter discusses a lot of heavy topics relating to mental health including PTSD, panic attacks, and depression. If you are sensitive to any of those please proceed with caution. 
> 
> Again, huge thank you to my darling @/basilbyers for helping me make this the best it can possibly be :)

Sunny flopped down onto Dr. Minerva’s squishy couch at 7:45 sharp.

“So, Sunny, did you think about what I proposed last week?”

Sunny groaned. He was really hoping she’d forget.

“I’m not going back there. I don’t care how much it will help me get through my problems. There’s too many bad memories I’d have to face.”

“That’s exactly the point of the visit. You’ve made great strides in your recovery and this is a great way to continue. Do you want to be stuck right where you are now forever?”

 _Yes_ , he wanted to say. “Not really.”

“Well, then, this is the logical next step. I believe you’re ready. And I think you know that you are too.”

She was right. He was probably ready. He just didn’t want to do it.

“What about my remedial work? I’m supposed to be taking summer school this year,” he grimaced. He didn’t like talking about school. It was embarrassing that he was just starting to learn geometry at eighteen.

“I called ahead. The community college is training teachers over the break, so you can attend there,” she stated plainly.

Damn. She really thought of everything.

“My friend Aubrey said she’d never let me step foot in Faraway again. I know she was upset about...what happened but she’s not one to take back a threat.”

“I don’t think she’d hurt you. Laws get stricter when you turn eighteen. It would have been easier if you’d visited a year ago.” Her face was neutral and she was clearly referring to Aubrey, but her words made him think back to the incident with Mari.

Dr. Minerva knew pretty much everything. Her kind demeanor and code of patient-doctor confidentiality gave him the strength to tell her about a lot of things. Things he never thought he’d ever speak to another living person. She was the only one besides his old friends and his parents that knew the true cause of Mari’s death.

When he’d first moved away, he was convinced his mother would get a call from the police station saying that he was being tried for manslaughter, that Aubrey had turned him and Basil in during her fit of rage. Every time the phone rang, he’d have debilitating panic attacks, terrified that the police would come banging on the door shortly after. It got so bad his mother unplugged the house phone and hired Dr. Minerva.

“What if I don’t want to go?”

“It’s your choice. I’ll respect your decision if you decide it’s too much.”

Her tone made it sound like he really didn’t have much of a choice.

He supposed he really didn’t. There wasn’t much else he could face in a therapist’s office. He’d already told her everything. She probably knew him better than he knew himself.

That wasn’t saying a lot. There were so many things about himself he didn’t know.

Weekly therapy could only unpack so much. His first few months were pretty superficial until he gained the courage to tell her the truth about Mari. She made his mother take him to a specialist for a psychiatric evaluation. Shortly after, he got medications for PTSD and depression. He was also given intensive sessions to combat his hikikomori nature.

The meds seemed to help. The therapy seemed to help. Now he just had to figure out what he had missed about himself during all those years of lost time.

This was the only thing they hadn’t tried yet. Maybe he should give it a shot.

He sighed. “I’ll do it. But I have some conditions.”

She clapped her hands, not even trying to hide her glee. “Wonderful. What are they?”

“One: I want to go alone. Two: I'm not going to be obligated to speak to Basil, Aubrey, Kel, or Hero. Three: you don’t bother me while I’m there. No calls, no email, nothing.”

She wrote down the list with her favorite blue pen. “I can work with those. As long as you report everything to me at the end, of course. And I do mean everything,” she looked at him threateningly. “Keep a journal. Write it on a napkin if you have to. Every breakthrough should be recorded.”

“I’ll bring a lot of napkins,” he grinned.

She laughed. “I won’t force you, but try and talk to a few of your old friends. They’ll most likely be home for the summer anyways. Start with Basil. He’s probably the one you’ll most relate to.”

He rubbed his eye absently at the mention of his old friend’s name. It had recovered and was usable, but the vision was foggy enough to be annoying and contacts didn’t help. Every time he saw his eye in the mirror, he was reminded of Basil.

He didn’t look in the mirror much anymore.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt. I still don’t want to do it, though.”

She smiled. “All the more reason why you should try.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A little less than two weeks after that session, Sunny pulled his suitcase out of the car. He dropped it onto the concrete with a loud thunk and fought the handle into its upright position.

“You know how to contact me, right?”

His mother looked slightly worried. She was scared the old setting would trigger his PTSD and undo all the (expensive) therapy.

Sunny slammed the trunk door down. “I’ll be fine, Mom. It’s not like I’m going across the world. If I need anything, I’ll call on Martha’s phone.”

“Promise me you’ll call if you need me. Or if you run out of medication. Or if it gets too difficult. Or-”

“Mom! I’ll be fine!” He hugged her tightly. “I promise I’ll let you know if I have any issues.”

They pulled away. “I love you, Sunny,” she said, her voice a bit cracked.

“I love you too.”

They said ‘I love you’ now. Dr. Minerva really was a miracle worker.

Sunny pulled the suitcase onto the curb and watched his mother drive away. He looked toward the house behind him.

Martha Woodstock was an old family friend who used to babysit him and Mari whenever their parents went on a date night. From what he recalled, she had a lot of cats.

Sunny liked cats.

He rang the doorbell and checked his watch. He was two minutes early.

There was a bustling behind the door. Sunny heard footsteps and a lot of meowing. The door squeaked open to show a short woman wearing slippers and a long dress. Wisps of varying colored cat hair stuck to it like glue.

“Oh, hello Sunny!”

“Hello, Mrs. Woodstock.”

“Just call me Martha. You’ve grown so much since I last saw you. How long has it been?” She gripped him tightly in a wide embrace.

“Um...four years I think,” he gasped, trying to catch his breath.

She let him go, smiling widely. “That’s right. I’m sorry about your sister, by the way. I never did get the chance to tell you that right when she died.”

His sister. He’d been expecting people to bring her up.

“It’s alright. I didn’t talk much after she died either,” he chuckled weakly.

She continued smiling, seemingly with pity now. “Well don’t just stand there, come on in! I made cookies! I hope the cats didn’t get to them yet,” she clicked her tongue. “They try to eat everything I make. Could be cookies, could be sprouts, could be liverwurst. Don't seem to care at all.”

He silently prayed that his mother had told her that he was a picky eater. He didn’t want to eat liverwurst.

Sunny followed her into the small house. Every surface was covered by cat toys and cat hair. There were a few picture frames here and there, but they were all just cats. There were no stairs.

“Kingston, get off of your sister. The scratching post is over there!” She waddled over to pull apart two identical tabbies. “I should introduce you to my lovelies. This is Kingston and Lacey,” she held up the corresponding cat to punctuate. “Over there is Prim,” she pointed across the room to a little grey cat who was mewling far away from her siblings. “Here’s my sweet boy Wilson,” she grunted, picking up a very fat orange cat. “And that’s Bartholo-mew.” She pointed again to a tiny black cat walking out of the kitchen area.

Sunny smiled. He looked a bit like Mewo.

She let Wilson out of her arms and wiped her hands on her pants. “They’re all very excited to see you. I haven’t had guests in ages,” she sighed. “I don’t have any family. Just my cats. Oh, don’t you feel sorry for me. I’m perfectly happy,” she laughed as his expression changed from concerned to embarrassed. “You have a cat right? How’s she doing?”

“Still kicking around. I should have brought her with me.”

“It’s better that you left her. Your mama is going to be lonely without you there. Cats are great company.”

He looked around. “So, uh, where am I staying? I should put my suitcase away before the cats get it.” Bartholo-mew was pawing at his ankle.

“Just down the hall. You have your own bathroom, too. I can get you some- Kingston what did I tell you?” She hurried to the other side of the room to pull the cats apart again.

Sunny dragged his suitcase over the carpet and into his room. It was small but comfortable. She seemed to have cleaned out all of the cat toys.

He unzipped his suitcase and set it on the floor, taking his journal out. He wrote:

**Friday, 6/17: I have arrived. There are a lot of cats. Nothing else to note.**

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunny left the house later that evening. He’d told Martha he wanted to walk around and see how the town had changed. She’d obliged and gone back to her cats.

He shut the door behind him and brushed off the cat hair that had accumulated on his black vest. He made his way down Cherry Lane toward the plaza area. Maybe he’d visit the game store.

A cool breeze nipped at his exposed arms. He walked briskly, trying to hurry before the approaching sunset plunged the town into darkness. Looking around at the streets, he could tell that even though the buildings stayed the same, his views had shifted. He was nervous that he’d run into Aubrey or Kel, but he tried to tell himself that the odds were slim to none.

He eventually reached the Faraway Plaza, and was happy to see that the buildings had stayed the exact same. Gino’s still offered their famous sandwiches. Othermart was still Othermart. Hobbeez was closed for the night, but still kicking around.

Sunny sat down on the fountain’s edge, remembering the last few days. He remembered the all-too-brief reunion and how he’d shattered any hope of it getting back together.

Then again, that’s what he’d thought the first time they broke apart. Maybe there was hope left.

To the left, he heard the whirring of the Fix-It doors and laughing. Sunny sighed, taking it as his cue to leave. He stood up to walk back to Martha’s house when…

“Sunny?”

He spun around. It was Basil.

Shit.

He hadn’t changed much. He was a bit taller, maybe a bit lankier, and the flower in his hair was purple now, but that was it.

Except for the terrified expression, of course.

“Who’s this, Basil? One of your friends?” The woman next to him smiled. Sunny tried to return it, but all he could muster was a wobbly wave. His hands were starting to shake.

“I’m...Sunny.”

“Oh, right! You were…” she hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “You moved away a few years back, correct?”

“Um, yes,” he said evasively, looking toward the bags they were holding. Mostly gardening equipment.

“I don’t suppose you remember me. I’m Polly. I was taking care of Basil’s grandmother when you visited.”

“Oh, uh, right. I think I remember you. How is she doing?” His tongue felt like sandpaper.

“She sadly passed, what is it, a year and a half ago?” She looked at Basil, who looked like he was going to either throw up or pass out. Polly didn’t seem to register it.

“Y-yes,” he croaked out, his eyes avoiding Sunny’s at all costs. His small hands were shaking around those plastic bags.

“She didn’t have much of a fight left in her. In and out of the hospital for weeks after that night. One day she just...gave up I suppose,” Polly sighed. “I’m just glad she’s out of her misery. She wasn’t doing so well those last months.”

“I’m...sorry,” Sunny choked out. He was starting to sweat profusely. If they didn’t leave soon, he was going to have a full on panic attack. He hadn't had one in months, but seeing Basil must have triggered his PTSD.

“It’s alright. We’ve moved on. I actually adopted Basil not long after. Can’t have children of my own, you see, and I thought that it would be nice.” She put her arm around Basil’s bony shoulder. “Oh, you’re all sweaty. Must be the weather. Always humid in June.”

A cold wind blew around their bodies, whipping through Basil’s choppy hair.

“How long are you in town? I’ll see if Basil is available. He’s taking classes at the community college so he’s a bit busy during the weekdays, but he’s free on weekends! Would you like to hang out with Sunny, Basil?”

Sunny figured she must be blind. Basil looked like he would rather do anything else than hang out with Sunny.

“S-sure,” he mumbled.

“I’m here all summer. It’s, ah...a part of my therapy,” Sunny mumbled the last words.

“Sorry? I didn’t quite catch that last bit.”

“It’s a part of my therapy,” he repeated louder.

“Oh...well that’s nice. Basil has a therapist too. She’s a very sweet lady. Always has these little watermelon candies when I pop by.” Polly glanced at her watch. "My, would you look at the time. We should head back. It was nice to see you, Sunny.” She smiled widely.

“Nice...nice to see you too.”

Polly started leading Basil toward their house. Basil looked back, his eyes meeting Sunny’s for a brief moment. He turned quickly, ducking his head, and jogged up to walk alongside her.

When they were out of sight, Sunny collapsed back onto the fountain’s edge. He felt like he would pass out from the panic and memories colliding in his mind. His hands were clammy and cold.

And his heart wouldn’t stop racing. He did those breathing techniques Dr. Minerva had taught him for when he encountered any triggers, but they didn’t help much. Basil was one huge trigger and breathing wouldn’t help.

What he needed was his damn medication, but that was with Martha and her cats. It was taking all the energy Sunny had to stay upright and not fall into the fountain.

Dr. Minerva had warned him that facing any of his old friends would be tough, but this was extreme.

He reached his hand up toward his right eye instinctively, his hand shaking violently. He wondered if Basil had noticed that it was still intact.

To be honest, Basil had seemed too terrified to even look at him. Sunny didn’t blame him.

He sat on the fountain for what felt like hours, trying to steady his heart enough to get back. Dusk had begun to settle in when he finally felt stable enough to stand. His legs felt like jelly.

When he had regained his balance, he nearly ran back to Martha’s house. He wouldn't leave it again except for his classes.

Shit. Basil was taking classes at the college too. Sunny wouldn’t be able to avoid him forever.

He shook his head, brushing away the thought. He quickened his pace and turned onto Cherry Lane.

He shut the door behind him and dashed into his room. With a shaking hand, he forced open his medication bottle and poured out the pills. One, two, three. He slammed them back dry, coughing slightly.

Sunny collapsed onto the bed, his arms spread-eagle on the sheets. He took his breaths and tried to quiet his screaming mind.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunny didn’t leave his bed for the next 22 hours.

He felt absolutely awful. His mind kept replaying the bad memories he’d tried so hard to overcome. At one point he was tempted to call his mother and get out of here just so he could avoid seeing Basil again.

What stopped him was imagining Dr. Minerva's face. She would be disappointed if he went home after barely a day. He was supposed to be pushing himself.

Speaking of Dr. Minerva, he had his stupid journal to take care of.

He cracked it open and added to yesterday's entry

**Friday 6/17: I have arrived. There are a lot of cats. Nothing else to note.**

**Encountered Basil. Had a panic attack. Took three pills.**

He groaned, kicking the covers off of his sweaty body. He’d worry about that later. His bladder was causing him too much discomfort to think about anything else.

After taking care of business, Sunny opened the door of his room, squinting his eyes at the sudden light. Martha ambled over at the sound of the door.

“Oh, you’re awake! I have some dinner in the fridge if you’d like it.”

Sunny gave a weak smile. “That would be great. Thank you.”

She busied herself with preparing a plate as he sat down at the dining table. Sunny was glad she wasn’t asking any questions.

One of the cats circled around his ankles, purring slightly. He picked it up and held it in his arms, surprised by the weight. What was its name, Wilson?

Martha brought the warm plate to him. “Here you go, dear. If you need anything else just let me know.”

“Thank you, Mrs-I mean Martha,” he said, putting the cat down. It hung around his ankles, probably hoping for scraps of food. That's what Mewo always did.

He devoured the meal in minutes. He hadn’t realized how hungry he really was until he'd taken a bite.

She brought him a warm cup of coffee. She hesitated. "Are you alright? Did something happen yesterday?”

This was exactly what he was hoping she wouldn’t do.

“Yes. I, uh, ran into someone. Someone who…” he paused. “Someone who I used to be friends with. It brought back a lot of old memories. You know how it is.” He tried to keep his voice light, but it shook slightly. His heart was beating fast again. He curled his hands around the hot cup to stop them from shaking.

“I see.” She looked down, taking a sip from her own cup. “Well I won’t press it any further, but if you ever need anything, I’m here for you.”

“Thank you,” Sunny said. “I really appreciate you taking care of me.” His hands clenched around the cup with a vicelike grip. He tried to loosen up, think of happier things, but nothing was coming to mind. All he could think about was Basil.

And how he needed that damn medication.

He stood up, knocking the coffee cup to the ground. “Shit! Sorry about that,” he exclaimed, jumping down to mop it up. The cats, attracted by the sound, were already licking it up.

“Don’t worry about that. Go get some rest.” Martha smiled as she knelt down beside him, holding a napkin.

He nodded and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. His hands were clammy and slipped over the cap of the pill bottle. He yanked it open, pouring the pills into his hand. One, two, three. As he was about to toss them into his mouth, he paused.

Dr. Minerva’s voice cut through his screaming mind, clear and concise. “They’re only here in case you encounter a trigger or in an emergency. It’s tough, but try not to use them for every attack. We don’t want a dependency.”

Did this count as an emergency? Maybe.

He knew he needed to get through this eventually, to not use the medicine as a crutch. But it was a little difficult to remember that when his mind was drowning every coherent thought out with memories.

Fuck it. He’d make a dependency if it meant he would stop shaking so much.

One, two, three. He gagged as they moved down his throat.

He fell back into the bedsheets, trembling. This was going to be a long summer.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sunny jolted awake to the sound of his door banging open.

“Sunny, I’m so sorry but I need to go to the vet. The cats are extremely sick and I’m going to stay with them. Will you be alright by yourself for a few hours?”

He rubbed his eyes, trying to process all the information. “Uh...sure,” he mumbled blearily.”

She nodded. “I’ll see you soon. I’m sorry for the trouble.” She bustled away, carrying those travel pet carriers. 

He heard the front door slam shut and the house went quiet. He sighed.

It took all his motivation to get out of the bed and into the bathroom. He disrobed and stepped in the shower, cranking the dial to the coldest setting. He stood there for what felt like hours, trying to wash away the memories and the pain with icy water.

He needed to push through. Dr. Minerva would want him to be strong, to fight his own mind.

The problem was that Sunny was terrified of what he might find. What Basil might bring to light.

Eventually, he gathered the will to shampoo his hair, but it was all he could muster the willpower to accomplish. He twisted the shower head off and toweled himself dry. The house phone started ringing.

He let it go. It wasn't his business who called Martha. 

As he was pulling his shirt on, he heard the voicemail click on. It was Martha's voice.

“Hello, Sunny. I hope you get this eventually, but I need to be with the cats for a lot longer than I expected. The coffee got to them and they’re not doing well. Do you have anyone you can stay with for the next few weeks? I won’t be able to take care of you for a while. I’m-”

“Ma’am, we need you to fill out some paperwork,” a tinny voice sounded in the background. A secretary, probably.

“Yes, yes, of course,” Martha sighed. “As I was saying, go stay with someone else for a while. I’ll probably be back by-”

“Ma’am we need your signature now.”

“Oh, alright. Be safe, Sunny.”

The voicemail clicked off.

Sunny stood still. Who could he stay with? No one else knew he was here and on such short notice it would be tough. It’s not like he knew a lot of people who would take him in anyways. Who could possibly-

His blood turned to ice.

Basil could.

Basil knew he was here. Polly seemed to like him enough. He was taking classes at the college as well. Sunny could stay with them.

Sunny dashed and grabbed the phone, punching in their number. Even after all those years, he'd never forgotten it. How many times had he dialed this number within the last two years?

As he was about to click the “call” button, he paused.

He always paused when he got to this step. 

Was it selfish to ask Basil for help after all these years? After everything they’d been through? Basil clearly didn't want to see him or have anything to do with him. Neither did Sunny, if he was being honest.

Would Sunny do more harm than good if he called?

Would he hurt Basil?

Sunny groaned and collapsed onto a chair. What should he do?

His thumb trembled over the button.

He needed to push himself. He was here to get over everything.

Maybe this was a step in the right direction.

Was it selfish? Very. He hoped Basil would forgive him.

He pressed the button, holding the phone up to his ear. 

It rang.

And rang.

And rang.

On the fourth ring, a female voice answered.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Polly, uh, it’s me, Sunny. I was wondering…” He took a deep breath. “I was wondering if I could ask you something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was pretty difficult to write (you should see my search history haha). I don't personally take any medications or struggle with PTSD so I would really appreciate feedback on my therapy scenes as well as the portrayal of flashbacks and panic attacks. I did the best research I could but I know that I'm going to get some things wrong. I'm willing to take criticism and fix my portrayals in later chapters. Please don't hesitate to point out if anything is inaccurate or harmful because that is the absolute last thing I want to be doing. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and as always, criticism is welcome :)


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